SEC tournament failures keep mounting.

#1
S

SWS22

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#1
It's been over 30 years since the Vols have won the sec tournament. Every team in the league has won the tourney at least once since then except South Carolina. Which I wouldn't fully count South Carolina. Due to they came in the league in the early 1990's.
 
#2
#2
Weird as this may sound, I don't even care if we win it. I just want to stop playing like utter **** every single year. That's all that matters to me. Make the semis, the finals, SOMETHING to make us happy. Stop ****ing it up every time.

Every year for Pearl it cost us a good seed (save his first), and both years with Martin it has cost us a tourney berth.
 
#3
#3
I somewhat agree with your comment. However winning the tournament means your a hot team and your peaking and playing great basketball. As far as the NCAA tournament. We've never been past the final 8. Maybe if we could start playing better in the SEC tourney. Then someday we could get to a final four. I might be dreaming, who knows.
 
#4
#4
utfan72408 said:
Weird as this may sound, I don't even care if we win it. I just want to stop playing like utter **** every single year. That's all that matters to me. Make the semis, the finals, SOMETHING to make us happy. Stop ****ing it up every time.

Every year for Pearl it cost us a good seed (save his first), and both years with Martin it has cost us a tourney berth.
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Pearl did make the semis and the finals once. So, there's that. We should've won both tourneys though.
 
#5
#5
SWS22 said:
I somewhat agree with your comment. However winning the tournament means your a hot team and your peaking and playing great basketball. As far as the NCAA tournament. We've never been past the final 8. Maybe if we could start playing better in the SEC tourney. Then someday we could get to a final four. I might be dreaming, who knows.
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You make a good point. Oftentimes it is simply about who the hot team is, who starts rolling at the right time.

But I'm convinced there is no real pattern, because I have seen red-hot teams become first round upset victims too often before.

Anybody remember 2006 Kansas? Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, Darnell Jackson? Finished the year by winning 15 of 16 and 22 of 25, including a 7-game win streak and a 10-game win streak as well as a Big 12 tournament title. They played themselves all the way up to a well-earned 4-seed.

I was sold. They were my darkhorse pick to win it all. I forget just how far I had them going in my bracket, but I know it was at least the final 4.

They lost their first game to the 13-seed, Bradley.

That completely soured my attitude toward hot teams. Ever since then, I've avoided picking a team to go far just because they are hot.
 
#6
#6
OrangeBalls said:
Pearl did make the semis and the finals once. So, there's that. We should've won both tourneys though.
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Exactly. I remember both those tournaments. But the thing is, we SHOULD have made it that far, you know? None of our tourney wins were good wins. I didn't feel like we played particularly well either time.

Some of our teams were better than others, relative to the rest of their season, every single one underachieved in the SEC tournament.
 
#7
#7
utfan72408 said:
Weird as this may sound, I don't even care if we win it. I just want to stop playing like utter **** every single year. That's all that matters to me. Make the semis, the finals, SOMETHING to make us happy. Stop ****ing it up every time.

Every year for Pearl it cost us a good seed (save his first), and both years with Martin it has cost us a tourney berth.
Click to expand...

I understand and share your frustration, but it's seems a little misguided. In the last 8 years, we have both made the semis and finals. I understand you feel we underachieved both years, but I get the sense that you believe anything but a championship is a total loss. Too often, the best team (most talented) doesn't win in a tournament setting. I'd go so far as to say, more times than not, the best team doesn't win. This year is a perfect example. Ole Miss wasn't the most talented team in the SEC.

Pearl's teams finished with a 2 seed twice, so I wouldn't say it cost us a "good" seed each year, but maybe it cost us a better seed.
 
#9
#9
Well, we were a hot team at the end of the year. Just didn't carry over to the tourney. I will admit UT has consistently under performed in it over a number of years. Just don't know why.
 
#10
#10
cncchris33 said:
I understand and share your frustration, but it's seems a little misguided. In the last 8 years, we have both made the semis and finals. I understand you feel we underachieved both years, but I get the sense that you believe anything but a championship is a total loss. Too often, the best team (most talented) doesn't win in a tournament setting. I'd go so far as to say, more times than not, the best team doesn't win. This year is a perfect example. Ole Miss wasn't the most talented team in the SEC.
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That wasn't what I meant. Again, I just think we underachieve in the tournament relative to how our season went. The semis would have been acceptable this year or last year. But Pearl's team that lost to Arkansas in the semis underachieved. So did the other 2-seeded team, obviously. But I guess making the finals can never be considered underachieving, even if we didn't look all the great during the tournament.

The best team doesn't always win. I couldn't agree more. Maybe I'm being a little harsh but IMO my point is still valid.

cncchris33 said:
Pearl's teams finished with a 2 seed twice, so I wouldn't say it cost us a "good" seed each year, but maybe it cost us a better seed.
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Should have said that. That is what I meant. Always cost us a 'better' seed. Yes.
 
#12
#12
utfan72408 said:
Exactly. I remember both those tournaments. But the thing is, we SHOULD have made it that far, you know? None of our tourney wins were good wins. I didn't feel like we played particularly well either time.

Some of our teams were better than others, relative to the rest of their season, every single one underachieved in the SEC tournament.
Click to expand...

I've given up hope of ever winning the SEC tourney ever again. If ever there was a year, this was it. Just like when two of Pearl's teams should've won it. It doesn't matter who the coach and the players are, we just tend to totally suck at that tourney. It's nothing but a cash grab, but I do enjoy going to watch all the teams. I just wish mine would show up and make it to the weekend more than once in a blue moon.
 
#13
#13
utfan72408 said:
That wasn't what I meant. Again, I just think we underachieve in the tournament relative to how our season went. The semis would have been acceptable this year or last year. But Pearl's team that lost to Arkansas in the semis underachieved. So did the other 2-seeded team, obviously. But I guess making the finals can never be considered underachieving, even if we didn't look all the great during the tournament.

The best team doesn't always win. I couldn't agree more. Maybe I'm being a little harsh but IMO my point is still valid.



Should have said that. That is what I meant. Always cost us a 'better' seed. Yes.
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Your point is definitely valid, and I share your frustrations. Don't have an answer though. We just struggle in that setting. It's not central to one coach, one venue, or one opponent. John Wooden could coach us against Maxine's Beauty College at Pratt Pavilion, and I wouldn't feel 100% confident if it were labeled the SEC Tournament..
 
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